Intent and the Truth

This past week I had the pleasure of being a speaker at Tweetstock in Brantford, Ontario where we talked about the Art of Community. There I talked about how to engage with conflict, both online and offline. I’ll get more into what I talked about possibly in the next few weeks, but one thing I did talk about is Intent. A few weeks ago I talked a little about Intent, Action, and Effect but I want to share this picture from my slideshow:

This picture speaks volumes for intent! Have you ever said/wrote something that someone reacted to or felt offended by? Most of us would say that this has happened to us before. It is vitally important that when this happens we have an honest conversation with the person that has (mis)interpreted what we said. Explore the meaning of what was said by explaining your intent and exploring the effect its had on the other person.

In conflict, everyone has a stake in the miscommunication.

I had a great time speaking at Tweetstock, and there was some amazing speakers there! Take a look at my friend Lisa’s blog and video (and find Lisa on Twitter!) and you will quickly see that this event was full of fun, love and community!

                       

Jason Dykstra

Jason is a Conflict Management Specialist who is helping organizations and congregations move from conflict situations to creative solutions. He specializes in relational and communication issues and uses his experience and training in mediation, group facilitation, conflict management coaching, speaking and teaching to aid you and your surroundings to better… MORE >